I can roll around in poison ivy with no problems but this creeper did a number on me. The fruit is a delight for birds and other animals but is toxic and potentially deadly for humans. The berries are poisonous,   although because they taste so bitter, it’s rare that a person ingests enough to become poisoned. I broke out in a terrible itching, burning red rash just like my husband does when he is exposed to poison ivy. Parthenocissus quinquefolia, known as Virginia creeper, Victoria creeper, five-leaved ivy, or five-finger, is a species of flowering plant in the grape family, Vitaceae.It is native to eastern and central North America, from southeastern Canada and the eastern United States west to Manitoba and Utah, and south to eastern Mexico and Guatemala. Sometimes called Woodbind, woodbine, false grapes, five leaves, American Ivy, five leaved Ivy, thicket creeper. Virginia creeper blooms in the spring; the flowers are small, greenish white and grow in clusters. Virginia creeper is a fast-growing, perennial, woody vine that is often used as a decorative ground or wall covering. It is a native perennial, fast growing, deciduous, woody vine that may trail along the ground or climb just about anything, climbing to a height of more than 50 feet with a spread of more than 35 feet. This is the give away when it comes to telling these plants apart. You can also detect pale lenticils which are absent in VA creeper. Virginia Creeper: Poison Ivy: Poison Sumac: Poison Oak * Generally 4 or 5 leaves * Always 3 leaves * Always 3 leaves * Always 3 leaves * No leaf stems * Center leaf stem is longer than other two * Clusters of red berries in fall * Red leaves in fall * Red leaves in the fall * Center leaf is larger than others * Berries grow upright * Does not climb Poisonous Plants. Comparing species: Tendrils and suckers. Family name: Vine Family (Vitaceae) Attracts: Virginia creeper provides cover for many small birds and mammals. There are several alternative names for Virginia creeper including: woodbind, false grapes, American Ivy, five-leaf ivy, and thicket creeper. Virginia creeper have distinctive adhesive disks (Figure 14), unlike poison ivy. Q: I pulled a bunch of Virginia creeper off of a fence last week. If you're not sure about a particular plant do try to check for yourself - preferably not by giving it a quick nibble and seeing what happens! Fruit follows in summer into fall, first a pale color but turning blue to near black when ripe. In the False creeper, the stem is clearly swollen at the nodes. The Virginia creeper has a pale brown stem, with non-flaking bark. I would not take a chance when working with this plant. Songbirds are the principle consumers of the fruit, however deer, game birds and small […] When seeking medical assistance as a result of poisoning always take a piece of the plant with you. Common name: Virginia Creeper Other names: Woodbind, woodbine, false grapes, five leaves, American Ivy, five leaved Ivy, thicket creeper Scientific name: Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planch. Another species common throughout Michigan and similar to Virginia creeper is called thicket creeper (Parthenocissus inserta). Similar to poison ivy, leaves of both Virginia creeper and thicket creeper turn to red tones in the fall; however, berries are dark purple-black unlike the white berries of poison ivy. We've done a lot of work to make the information here as accurate as we can, but if you find anything wrong or missing, please contact us.. The difference between the two species is the way they climb trees: Virginia creeper has tendrils with sticky pads while thicket creeper has tendrils with twining tips. It doesn’t have flaking bark.